Philadelphia Flyers Face Colossal Challenge In San Jose Sharks

By Steven Smith

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Flyers have played plenty of the league’s top teams this season, but they haven’t fared well against them at all. Of the 11 games Philly has played against teams within the NHL‘s top 10, the Flyers have only managed to scrape up two wins. Philadelphia will play the visiting team when they square off against the San Jose Sharks tonight. The Sharks, who come into tonight’s contest as the fifth best team in the league, will have plenty to throw at the Flyers.

Philadelphia will have to play some extremely technical hockey tonight if they want to exit the SAP Center with a victory. The defense will have to be on and very much alive in this contest. Poke checks and blocking will play a pivotal part in Philly’s success tonight should they come out with a win. San Jose leads the league in shots per game with 35.2.

The Flyers will also want to keep the Sharks out of the Philadelphia end. San Jose has 24 victories when they score first, good enough for sixth in league.

Being on the penalty kill is something that the Sharks have been very unfamiliar with this season. They’ve only found themselves in the box a total of 197 times this year, second-least in the league behind only the Chicago Blackhawks. Philadelphia could have a huge advantage if they can draw some penalties and get San Jose off its game.

With a victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night, many now think the Flyers are “back on track.” That’s not the case at all. They are still playing terribly as of late, having only won three of their last nine games. A win against an ailing Kings team is nothing to be proud of.

If Philly really wants to prove themselves as being headed in the right direction again, they’ll need to pick up a win tonight against one of the best in the west.